3-17-12 GOLIATH! FPI

We have spent a ton of time in the Fort Pierce Inlet lately fishing for a variety of species using a variety of techniques. Occasionally we get hooked into something very powerful and after a short fight it's gone. Pretty sure we were dealing with Goliath Grouper so we decided to gear up and drag one of these mystery bites to the surface. As you can see we were correct in our assumption. Bait was live Ladyfish.

Gently towed her to the shallows and removed the hooks lodged in her jaw then a few photos and off she went - healthy and jewelry free.

Old school Penn Senator 6/O with the drag literally hammered down (meaning tapping the star drag with a hammer). 200 Lb braid to 480lb steel cable. 12 oz. knocker rig and HOLD ON! With the drag set like that you can very very easily get pulled out of the boat. We tether the reel to the boat and try to remember to let go if it gets ugly.

Old school Penn Senator 6/O with the drag literally hammered down (meaning tapping the star drag with a hammer). 200 Lb braid to 480lb steel cable. 12 oz. knocker rig and HOLD ON! With the drag set like that you can very very easily get pulled out of the boat. We tether the reel to the boat and try to remember to let go if it gets ugly.

i have been doing the same thing on some of my favorite spots with 250 braid on a 6/0 and cable leader and still cannot stop them. i have got some true monsters to conquer when i get a rope and chain:fishing

i have been doing the same thing on some of my favorite spots with 250 braid on a 6/0 and cable leader and still cannot stop them. i have got some true monsters to conquer when i get a rope and chain:fishing

Oh yeah there some real river monsters out there that are simply to powerful for the gear you and I are using - but heck that's what makes it fun I had one over the weekend that flat out broke my 200 lb braid - not over structure either - it just failed. Very exciting.